The Slayers: Well, That's Annoying!
by SlayersFan132
Summary: Lina is changed into a chimera, and the Slayers group have no idea what to do about it. Lina looks to Zelgadis for help with her condition, but first they have to find out who did this...and maybe make a new enemy along the way. Takes place two years after Evolution R. Rated T for some violence in the end.
1. Chapter 1: A Foreboding Beginning

Lina wakes up in a place she doesn't recognize.

This doesn't make sense. The last thing she can remember is having a food fight with Gourry.

"You're awake," a sly voice says. A lone figure steps out of the shadows. She has long, white hair, golden eyes, and a mischievous smile. "Now the chaos can begin."

Lina doesn't know what to think. This woman bears a remarkable resemblance to Xellos, a monster general priest.

"Of course, you won't remember this conversation," the woman continues, "Let's see how you'll feel when poor Zelgadis isn't the only one."

"What?!" Lina exclaims, "When Zel isn't the only wh—"

She doesn't finish as her screams fill the air.

Meanwhile in the Kataart Mountains, Zelgadis is also disoriented. He's sipping coffee when suddenly everything dissolves.

"Why, hello, Zelgadis!" A certain annoying voice exclaims in mocking cheer, "You're looking well today!"

"Xellos," Zelgadis growls, clipping each word short, "What are you doing here?" His tone made it clear that he wished to be left alone. He certainly didn't want to be dealing with _this_ meddling mazoku.

"Oh, surely you know!" The general priest raises a finger and shakes it side to side, one of his often-closed eyes open a slit, "That is a secret."

He continues to grin as he casts a sleep spell.

Everything grows dark.


	2. Chapter 2: Boulders Don't Fall from t

A/N: I want to mention that yes, this is my first fanfic, and I honestly, at first, had no idea what to do. I also write in present tense, if you haven't noticed yet. I'd like to give a special thank you to Drk Phoenyx for helping me out with this. Also, thank you to Seyrin and a random guest for reviewing! As a reminder to all of you, please read and review, and I will keep the story coming!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Slayers characters or settings, aside from maybe the Ragna territory, which is mentioned much later in this story.

**Chapter 2: Boulders Don't Fall from the Sky!**

Gourry looks around. _Where's Lina? _the jellyfish brained swordsman wonders, but shrugs it off. He hastily grabs the piece of bacon Lina had been about to eat before she disappeared. "Oh well, more for me!"_  
_

Amelia shudders in the middle of a royal conference in the kingdom of Seyruun. She can't put her finger on it, but she knows something is wrong.

"Amelia," her father, King Phillionel, says, "is something wrong?"

The young princess glances at all the stern faces around her, "No, father. I'm fine."

They then hear someone yelling her name from the entry hall.

Gourry spots Amelia after she runs into the entry hall, still dressed for court, "Amelia, come look!"

She follows the blonde swordsman to a clearing outside of the city. Her stomach churns when she sees two people on the ground. One of them is Zelgadis, the blue chimera with spiky hair from many past adventures, and also Amelia's official protector. The other is a chimera with long, stiff, red hair and crimson, scale-like rocks on her face and arms.

Gourry can more or less recognize Zelgadis, but definitely not the shockingly beautiful chimera in front of him.

Amelia gazes down at the unconscious chimeras. Zelgadis is in his usual outfit, a beige shirt and jeans, including a cloak with a hood and scarf. The female is wearing skin-tight black clothing, as well as combat boots and golden orb earrings.

Gourry looks at Amelia in confusion, "Do you know who she is?"

"Mister Gourry," Amelia whispers in slight fear, "That chimera is Miss Lina."

"Really? I thought his name was Zelgadis!" Gourry exclaims.

Just when Amelia starts to explain that the _other_ chimera is Lina, Zelgadis stirs, "What the heck just happened...?"

"Mister Zelgadis! I could ask you the same thing!" Amelia scolds, pointing to Lina.

He looks bewildered for a moment before regaining his composure.

There is a soft rustle of leaves as Lina moans, "Ow...Why do I hurt so bad...?"

Realization crosses her face, "I was just-!" She looks down at herself and screams.

Zelgadis stands up, brushing leaves from his clothing, "We're in Seyruun I take it?" When Amelia nods, he continues, "Okay. First, how did I get here if I was all the way in the Kataart Mountains?" He receives no reply. "And why is Lina a chimera?"

Once again, no reply. "And last," he finishes with a sigh, "does anyone have a guess at who did this?"

"Martina?" Lina suggests.

"No." The thought is struck down. Martina can't use magic, though, somehow, her belief in 'Zoamelgustar' protects her from Lina's wrath...sometimes.

"I saw Xellos the other day," Zel admits, "but he was just pestering me again."

The Slayers consider this quietly in their own separate thoughts for a moment, but before they can seriously confront this problem, the pesky little monsters watching from above throw a problem at them. Literally.

A giant boulder falls on top of Zelgadis. "Ow," he complains quietly.

"Don't worry, Zel, we'll get you out of there!" Gourry exclaims, trying to lift it and breaking his hands off. His hands are now nothing but empty sockets.

"Well," the sorcerer sighs, "at least my hands didn't break off."

Lina wonders if her chimera transformation has made her stronger. She tests her theory on the boulder, picking it up with little difficulty and tossing the rock aside.

Gourry narrowly evades it and gawks at her, "Wow, Lina!"

Lina looks down at Zelgadis, "What kind of boulder falls from the sky?!"

"The crazy kind," he replies.

Lina is very disappointed, "Oh, whatever. I need FOOD!"

Some things never change.


	3. Chapter 3: Council Royal Council, th

A/N: Once again, I'd like to give thanks to any and all who are following this fanfic, as well as Drk Phoenyx...Please read and review, everyone!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Slayers, except for maybe the Ragna territory/kingdom, which is mentioned later in the story.

**Chapter 3: Council...Royal Council, That Is**

In the Seyruun castle, Lina and Gourry wolf down a ton of food...until Lina suddenly realizes that she's not hungry anymore.

"Lina," Zelgadis starts to explain, "When I was changed into a chimera, I realized that I don't need to eat as much. You've probably just discovered the same." He sips his coffee contentedly.

Lina blinks rapidly and her jaw hangs open, "B-but...I can't live without food! Unlike you, Zel, I've been a big eater ever since I was born!"

"I bet you were born with pointy teeth and an attitude just as sharp," Zelgadis scoffs sarcastically.

"I can easily bite your head off with those same teeth," Lina retorts with a glare.

Zelgadis grows silent just as Amelia arrives from her conference.

"Okay," the princess sighs, "we need to figure out what type of chimera Miss Lina is."

Zelgadis remains silent until the others quiet down and look at him. "I already did," he states. "Of course, Lina is still part human, but like me, she is also part rock golem. It explains why she was able to lift that boulder and her stony exterior. Also, her skin is red which means," Zelgadis pauses for dramatic effect. "Lina is also part fire dragon. It's from the Ragna region. They are almost extinct, and nearly impossible to find, which means whoever we're dealing with is quite knowledgeable."

Xellos comes to mind, but Zel seems to read their thoughts, "No, not even Xellos is foolish enough to risk Lina's wrath."

"So our culprit is at least as powerful as Xellos?" Lina muses. "This will be quite a mystery."

Zelgadis mutters, "This isn't a mystery genre..."

Lina begins knocking on her hand, intrigued.

Just then, someone happens to knock on the door. "Princess Amelia, your father wants to see you and your friends."

Lina pouts, "I now know how Zel feels." She pulls a black hood over her head, blushing...probably.

"Oh, come on, Lina," Gourry says, "Just because _I_ didn't recognize you doesn't mean that Phil won't!"

Lina's eye twitches as she smacks Gourry across the face.

"Ow!" he yelps, "Lina, that hurt!"

"Miss Lina, you need to control your temper. You can easily hurt someone now; try not to hit Mister Gourry!" Amelia exclaims in distress.

Zelgadis nods, silent yet making it clear: if she hurts someone she cares about, it will hurt her as well. Sadness darkens his eyes in the memory of lost friends.

As they enter the royal conference room, Phil sees the embarrassed figure cloaked in black. Zelgadis mutters words of encouragement to her.

"Daddy, you wanted to see us?" Amelia asks.

"Yes, Amelia, but first...is that Lina?" the king wonders in shock.

They think Lina blushes, but it's hard to tell when her face is already red.

"Yeah, Phil." The black magic sorceress glances away.

Phil gapes and moves closer to get a better look. "What happened to you?"

"Someone—we don't know who—changed me into a chimera of human, golem, and...fire dragon, I think," Lina answers.

"Well, don't worry, (Miss) Lina! Surely Justice will see you through this!" Phil and Amelia exclaim. (To any and all readers who may be confused by the parentheses, it is because Amelia calls her "Miss Lina" and Phil calls her "Lina." As they are speaking together, "Miss" and "Mister" go in parentheses.)

Lina and Zelgadis plug their ears as the royal Justice-lovers rattle off an excruciatingly long speech about Justice, hope, and love.

Gourry remains oblivious to the world, humming a Taylor Swift song that doesn't exist.

"...and so, (Miss) Lina, that is why you shouldn't worry about being a chimera! See, (Mister) Zelgadis, here, has lived as a chimera for most of his life, and he's still alive!"

This earns a death glare from Zelgadis, a warning that says, _'One more word and you suffer a terrible death...a very mysterious one that no one can figure out...'_

So they all shut up and get down to business.


	4. Chapter 4: Drats! I HATE Surprises!

A/N: Wow, I'm on a roll today...Anyway, thanks again to Drk Phoenyx and any and all who read and review!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Slayers, except maybe the Ragna territory, which is an important part of the story later.

**Chapter 4: Drats! I HATE Surprises!**

Phil sits at the head of the conference table. Seeing no need in yelling across the room, the Slayers sit in seats nearby.

"I have good news and bad news," the king says, "Which do you want first?"

"Bad news," Lina replies, Zelgadis still silent. It's almost uncanny how quiet he is.

"Okay, then." Phil clears his throat. "Our kingdom has been attacked by monsters for a while now. We fear that soon we will be overwhelmed, and require your assistance."

"How is that bad?" Lina asks with a short laugh, "I'm me, after all! Oh, and I've also got Useful Items numbers 1 through 3 with me. Not that it matters."

Phil nods, "Good point. Anyway, the good news is—"

"Filia is here," Zelgadis says abruptly. Blushing in embarrassment, he stammers, "I can sense her presence." Being part blow demon, Zelgadis can sense magical presences.

The golden dragon steps into the room, acknowledging each of them in turn. She pauses when she sees Lina.

"Miss Lina, what—"

"Don't." Lina cuts her off, banging her head on the table.

Gourry frowns, "Lina, doesn't that hurt?"

"Actually, no" she grumbles, not lifting her head from the enormous dent in the table.

Zelgadis sighs in envy. If he didn't have extremely spiky hair, he would do the same.

Filia frowns in concern. "Oh, and Miss Lina, your sister sent another letter."

The dragon hands Lina a letter. Lina's eyes widen as she opens the letter and screams. She scampers under the table to hide in the sarcophagus she always has Gourry lug around.

"Don't kill me, don't kill me..." she whimpers, still hiding.

Zelgadis picks up the letter, "It says, 'Hi, sis, I'm heading towards Seyruun. And I know about the sarcophagus.'"

Suddenly, the two chimeras and dragon sense another powerful white magic sorceress.

"She's here," Filia states happily. "I can't wait; I don't think you've ever met Miss Luna Inverse."

Amelia frowns, "Really? Lina and Luna? What are their parents' names, Joseph and Josephine?"

"Something like that, yeah," Lina mumbles from her hiding place just before Luna walks in and Zelgadis covers his face.

"Lina, I know you're in here!" Luna scolds the sarcophagus, "Get out of the coffin!"

"No, thank you," comes Lina's frightened reply.

Luna Inverse is dressed in a waitress' uniform, with crimson-maroon hair and bangs that cover her eyes. Her posture is stiff and erect. They can sense that she has a large magic pool. Luna frowns, "Is there a demon in here?"

Zelgadis looks away.

"I also sense two golems and two dragons."

"Wow, she's good," Gourry exclaims. Everyone glares at him, but, ignorant, he continues, "How can you tell?"

"I'm the Knight of Ceipheed. It's easy," she replies. Looking at Zelgadis—then again, no one can tell—she says, "Okay, I figured you out. Give it up, chimera."

"Wait!" Lina exclaims from the coffin, "He's not the only one." Zelgadis sighs, noticing that he had been holding his breath, as Lina climbs out of the coffin. "We don't even know who did it, but until this morning, I was human," the upset redhead admits.

Luna walks up to Lina and hugs her, "Whoever did this will suffer the consequences. Very _terrible_ consequences." She then releases Lina and puts a hand on her hip, beckoning Zelgadis. "Come on, I don't bite."

"You sure about that?" he mutters quietly, walking over anyway.

Amelia and Phil prepare to spout a Justice speech, but Lina konks them on the head and they pass out.

Luna orders, "Uncover your face."

Zelgadis hesitantly obeys, frowning in complaint.

Luna whistles, "Never have I seen a chimera so well-made. Shabranigdo knew what he was doing."

Zelgadis flinches, "How did you know about that?"

"What, do you think a Knight of Ceipheed can't tell when a piece of Shabranigdo creates a chimera?" Luna chuckles mischievously, "That's rich."


	5. Chapter 5: Eventually

A/N: Okay, I just want to mention that the only reason I'm posting so many chapters at once is because I have most of them finished and this is a once in a lifetime chance to get full access to a computer. But anyway, please read and review, fellow fanfiction authors and/or guests!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Slayers, as always. I'm just a really hyper fan having a lot of fun and waiting for more reviews to see what you readers think.

**Chapter 5: Eventually...**

The group members take the time to introduce themselves and explain their adventures. By the time they finish, it's time for dinner.

Lina sighs, "This is the worst day ever."

Some servants bring in food, and Gourry considerately wolfs only _half_ of it down. Luna twitches as though she finds it strange being served instead of serving.

Lina gnaws uncomfortably on a chicken leg while Amelia treats Phil's head wound and her own. "Miss Lina, that wasn't nice," she complains.

"Well, you would have annoyed us to death if I hadn't hit you, so shut up," Lina replies sharply.

Noticing that the sorceress is in a bad mood, they remain silent. The passage of time is marked only by the sound of Gourry eating. Filia keeps trying to strike up a conversation, but no one reacts.

Eventually, Luna is fed up with the silence...and food, and yells, "That's it, Lina! Say something! You're too quiet, and I haven't seen you in forever!"

Lina puts down the half-eaten chicken leg and sighs. "Luna, I'm sorry."

Luna frowns, "Lina, this is nonsense. I forgave you a long time ago. My temper got the better of me."

Happy that a conversation has started, Filia smiles and exclaims randomly, "Little Val hatched!"

Everyone exclaims in surprise and joy, except for Zelgadis, who is still sipping his coffee.

"He hatched four years ago, and he's extremely playful. We do a lot of business with the townspeople, mostly because he's there to help sell the vases," she continues. "I don't know how we keep up!"

"Wow, Miss Filia!" Amelia smiles, "When can we meet him?"

Zelgadis decides not to interrupt again, and Val bursts through the door. He has short, aqua hair, small black wings, and emerald green eyes that shimmer playfully.

"Mommy, these you friends?" he asks.

"Yes, Val," Filia replies happily.

Not wanting to scare the daylights out of the little dragon, Zelgadis covers his face, and Lina follows his example.

Val decides to go inspect them, thoroughly looking them up and down. Seeing only hair and eyes on Zel, the ancient dragon inspects Lina.

"You like me," the child observes. It takes Lina a moment to realize that he means that she's part fire dragon, and that her species is almost extinct, like his.

"Yes, Val, but not on purpose," the redhead murmurs wistfully.

"What happened?" he asks, already getting better at speech.

Zelgadis says, "Val, you're not old enough to understand yet." The blue chimera knows that ancient dragons mature quickly. And with Filia yelling at Xellos all the time, Val must learn a lot of words that he's not supposed to know.

"Oh, okay," he says. "Pick me up, Mister?"

Zelgadis tries to turn him down, but Filia gives him a death glare. So he complies, reaching down and gently picking up the little dragon.

"You hard," Val says. "And cold."

Zelgadis is silent for a time, but he quietly replies, "That's because I'm not human, Val."

"Why not?"

Zelgadis bites his lip, trying hard not to give a sharp retort, "My great-grandfather thought it would cure his blindness."

"Did it?"

"No." Hiding conflicting emotions under a mask of stone (literally), Zelgadis passes Val off to Amelia. The princess looks sympathetic, but he doesn't care for sympathy right now.

"I'm leaving," he announces quietly.

"Mister Zelgadis!" Amelia protests, "You can't! We have to figure out who did this to Miss Lina and interrogate them! And then maybe send them to the prison downstairs!"

"Amelia, this isn't a mystery genre. I thought you read the summary. Anyway, both me _and_ Lina are depending on it now."

Amelia looks desperate. Suddenly, her face brightens, "I know! We can all go! Then there will be four times as much help!" Waves crash dramatically behind her, even though they are in a palace...nowhere near a beach.

Zelgadis shakes his head gently, "No, Amelia, it'll slow me down. You know Lina: always taking detours."

"But those 'detours' could end up finding you a cure!" the young princess continues stubbornly.

By now, everyone is watching, even Val. Luna chuckles to herself.

Anyone has to admit; they look funny, with Amelia posing dramatically on the table, one finger pointing accusingly at Zelgadis, while he sips his coffee and cracks a smile.

"I doubt it, Amelia," Zelgadis says, "They never have, and far too many have gotten me kicked out of town for being a monster." He says it coolly, but a slight warning tone tells Amelia not to provoke him any further.

He stands from the seat and glances at Phil, "Besides, Amelia, you probably have work to do."

"You're not a monster to me," the princess mutters.

The cold glare she gets, the hard demon eyes with no hint of human, makes her wonder if she really means it.


	6. Chapter 6: Eventually

A/N: Thanks to any and all who have decided to read this chapter! Please, as always, read and review. I will appreciate any and all reviews, as long as it's not flat out criticism. Please use constructive criticism.

Disclaimer: As usual, I don't own the Slayers except for the Ragna territory/kingdom, which is important later in the story.

**Chapter 6: Freaky Monsters? Really?**

A guard bursts through the door, "Your Majesty, we're under attack!"

"Well, rally the troops! We'll meet you down there!" Phil exclaims, dragging everyone towards a futuristic device next to the stairs. It is very shiny and silver with metal bars on the side and magical buttons next to the door. Phil presses a button that says, "F1" and the magical device shifts into movement.

"Wow," everyone says in awe, "What is this strange box?"

"It's called an elevator," Amelia says in a 'I'm smarter than you' tone, "They're used to go up and down things like stairs, only it uses less human energy. We're almost weighing the elevator down with everyone's weight," She glares at Lina and Zelgadis, "but otherwise they work very well. It uses a lot of magic to make, so don't break it."

Zelgadis mutters, "Okay, Mom, do you want me to fold my laundry, too?"

Amelia begins an argument with him, but then the elevator opens and they run outside. The city's gates are being overrun by flying monsters casting Fireballs and Flare Arrows to attack the people below.

Filia picks up Val, and he curls up in her arms, "Mommy, I'm scared..."

"Shh...don't worry, Val. You'll be fine," Filia assures him. She glances at the others, "Sorry, but I have to get little Val out of here. You'll need to defeat them yourselves." She runs back inside of the castle.

"Ray Wing!" Lina launches into the sky with Gourry. "Zel and Amelia, attack from the ground. Gourry and I will take out these guys. Phil, just bear hug any monsters who get close to Filia and Val," she orders everyone.

Luna smiles, walking over to a castle wall and crossing her arms, "I'll help if you need me," she says.

"Lina," Zelgadis complains, "Why did you give us the monsters that cast _Ra-Tilts_?" Though most monsters do use black magic, others like blow demons use shamanistic magic, such as the Ra-Tilt.

"Because I flew up here first, and you're more accustomed to your body."

"Good point," he sighs, "Wind Breed!"

Wind whips at the attacking monsters and the first few lines collapse.

"Elmekia Lance!" Amelia yells, shooting one last glare at Zelgadis before casting more spells. Flames erupt in the sky above them. Muffled yelps come from the monsters' mouths.

Zelgadis draws his sword and enchants it with Astral Vine before plunging into the horde of demons, taking down several at a time.

A Ra-Tilt is cast. Amelia calls, "Mister Zelgadis, look out!"

"Don't think so low of me," he says calmly, stopping it with a wind shield. Amelia could swear that he winces slightly.

Gourry is busy decapitating monsters, jumping from one to the next. Lina hovers below him, casting spells and staying nearby in case he falls.

An ear-throbbing roar echoes in the slight wind. A monster the size of a house stomps through the gates, smashing them.

It is dark brown with long, curved horns that are probably meant for ramming people. Enormous wings are folded on its back, and sharp teeth the length of Gourry line its snarling lips.

"Well, this is bad," Lina mutters.

"Source of all souls which dwell in the eternal and the infinite, Everlasting flame of blue, Let the power hidden in my soul be called forth from the infinite...Ra-Tilt!" Zelgadis and Amelia yell in sync.

Two Ra-Tilts strike the monster. It roars again in anger and releases a strong Burst Flare. Amelia holds up a shield. By now, all the lesser monsters have fled from Phil's mighty hugs.

"What is _wrong _with this thing?!" Lina yells over the fierce wind.

Everyone looks at Zelgadis.

"What?" he exclaims innocently, "I don't know everything about monsters! Go find Xellos!"

And the pesky, purple-haired mazoku chooses that moment to appear.

"Hello," he smirks. "This is a very mad monster that just woke up from hibernation. Ta-ta!" He vanishes, but then reappears, "Oh, I almost forgot. Lina, Gourry is falling, and...duck."

"What?" Lina glares at Xellos. She then blinks, "Oh, right—Gourry."

Suddenly a spell strikes her, knocking her all the way inside, downstairs, and right into the poor, poor elevator that Amelia cares about so much.

So Gourry lands on Phil.

Lina winces, sliding to the ground and clutching her stomach.

"Lina!" Zelgadis uses Ray Wing to fly towards her.

"Zel...what was that?" she manages weakly.

"An extremely powerful Ra-Tilt," he replies, "Let me see your wound."

She moves her hands and shows him where she was hit.

Zelgadis, unfazed, crouches next to her. The wound is bad, to say the least. Even though it's hard to tell where it is, he knows what he's doing. He calmly uses a gentle healing spell to clean it, though Lina still winces.

"Don't worry," Zelgadis assures her, "I'm sure that if Luna isn't helping, she must know that it's not bad."

Luna nods in approval. "In time," she says, "In time." It almost seems as if she's hinting at something else. A small smile tugs at the corners of her mouth.

"Okay..." Amelia mutters, "Awkward..." She puts a hand on Lina's shoulder, "Miss Lina, Mister Zelgadis will take care of you while we finish this. Right, Mister Gourry?" She shoots another glare at Zelgadis, but then looks towards Gourry.

Gourry dizzily stands up, "Right..."


	7. Chapter 7: GodThat Hurt!

A/N: Hellooooo! I would, once again, like to thank the people that are reviewing my story and Drk Phoenyx for helping me out with this! Everyone, please read and review, and I will be one happy fanfiction author! Oh, and I apologize for any confusion with the last chapter's title. Sorry.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Slayers, except for maybe the Ragna territory/kingdom, which is mentioned much later in the story. I am just a fan hoping that you are having as much fun reading this as I am typing it. Please tell me if I can improve something, but with CREATIVE criticism.

**Chapter 7: God...That Hurt!**

Zelgadis frowns, "Why do _I _have to take care of Lina?"

Lina glares at him, "I'll kill you for that."

Amelia says, "Because, Mister Zelgadis, you know how to deal with rock golems."

"So do you! You've healed me plenty of times!"

"And Miss Lina would kill me," she adds.

Zelgadis gives up and begins healing Lina again.

Gourry dashes in and out to attack the monster while Amelia casts spells.

The monster roars angrily, lowering its head and swinging in a circle. The attack sends Gourry flying...right into Zelgadis, who happens to hit the wall of the elevator soon after. With Zelgadis' added mass, the elevator's wall breaks, sending them flying into the castle, and eventually, they land on the ground.

Zelgadis stands up, "Gourry," he says urgently, "Gourry, are you okay?"

The blonde swordsman makes no reply.

"Lina, get Amelia!" Zelgadis calls.

The redhead yells Amelia's name while Zelgadis prepares a spell, "Dug Haut!"

Earthen spikes shoot up around and under the monster, and it roars in pain.

Amelia arrives. "Help Gourry," Zelgadis says, running off.

Amelia huffs, "You broke the elevator."

He makes no reply and casts an Elmekia Lance. In retaliation, the monster sends a Gaav Flare his way, which he avoids easily. Eventually, Zelgadis uses Ray Wing to fly above it and decapitates it.

He flies back to the group. Lina is still sitting against the elevator wall, trying to peek at Gourry. Zelgadis picks her up and carries her to the others.

Amelia gives her report; "Mister Gourry broke a few ribs and got a concussion, but he'll be perfectly fine."

Phil, Luna, and the rest of Seyruun head over.

"Thank you for saving Seyruun...again!" Phil laughs, "We will toast your valor with a feast."

Lina sighs, "Oh, great Ceipheed, why me?" she complains.

Luna smiles mysteriously. She then says, "I have to go. Besides, feasts aren't my thing. Goodbye, Lina, Zelgadis." There is another smile before she vanishes in a white light.

"The way she vanishes is almost Xellos-like," Amelia comments.

"Did someone say my name?"

Not two seconds after Xellos appears, Zelgadis is smacking him across the face.

"You filthy mazoku!" Smack. "Why can't you _help _for once?" Crash. "You ruin EVERYTHING!" Clang.

"My, Zelgadis, and how are you doing? You're starting to sound like Filia." Xellos fakes hurt.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHH! MAZOKU!" Filia screams.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHH! MAZOKU!" Val echoes. "Did I do good, Mommy?"

"Yes, Val," Filia replies, "Now cover your eyes and try not to listen to what I'll be yelling."

Zelgadis takes back his thoughts from earlier. Filia is actually a responsible mother. Who knew?

Val obeys like this happens all the time and starts singing 'Long Live' by Taylor Swift (have you been wondering what song Gourry was humming earlier?).

_Long Live, the walls we crashed through,_

_How the kingdom lights shined,_

_Just for me and you..._

Filia whacks away at Xellos with her enormous mace.

_I was screaming,_

_Long Live, all the magic we made,_

_And bring on all the pretenders,_

_I'm not afraid..._

"Filia! Where did you come from?!" Xellos screeches in panic, fleeing.

"Your worst nightmares!" Filia replies, gaining on him.

"Get away from me! I didn't DO anything!"

_Will you take a moment..._

_Promise me this..._

_That you'll stand by me forever..._

_But if, God forbid, fate should step in..._

_And force us into a goodbye,_

Lina starts singing with Val in harmony:

_"If you have children someday,_

_When they point to the pictures,_

_Please tell them my name."_

Now everyone but Zelgadis is singing,

_"Tell them how the crowds_

_Went wild,_

_Tell them how I hope_

_They shine..._

_Long Live, the walls we crashed through,_

_I had the time of my life..._

_With you..._

_Long, Long, Live, the walls we crashed through,_

_How the kingdom lights shined_

_Just for me and you._

_And I was screaming-"_

"Die, Xellos!"

Lina prods Zel, and, hesitantly, he joins in,

_"All the magic we made,_

_And bring on all the pretenders,_

_I'm not afraid,_

_Singing, Long Live, all the mountains we moved,_

_I had the time of my life,_

_Fighting dragons with you!"_

Lina grins in a funny way, and Zel starts to lead,

_"And Long, Long, Live,_

_The look on your face,_

_And bring on all the pretenders_

_..._

_One day, we will be remembered."_

Everyone cheers loudly.

"Zel, I didn't know you could sing!" Lina exclaims.

He smiles slightly, "It was a long time ago."

"Oh, whatever," Lina grins again, "Group hug!"

Gourry has woken up, so he, Amelia, Val, and Lina hug. They all glare at Zelgadis, "Get in here!"

He is dragged in, protesting, by Lina, who now has iron grip. After a few seconds, he hugs them back.

"KISS HER ALREADY!" Filia yells.

"Ew!" Everyone exclaims.

"NO, I'M TALKING TO—Oops..." The dragon blushes.

Xellos grins, "Oh, come on, Filia, don't be shy!" he says mockingly.

"BACK OFF, XELLOS!"

There is the awful clang of metal striking bone.

"...Ow..."

Val claps enthusiastically.

A/N: THE END! Not really, of course. We still have to figure out what's going to happen to Lina! Oh, wait...I already know...Muahahahahahaha! Anyway, pretty please, with sugar on top, read and review! I'M JUST AS DESPERATE AS HONEYCOMB CEREAL!


	8. Chapter 8: Hopefulness is Key!

**A/N: Hello, readers! Please, if you are viewing this story, will you review it? I would really appreciate it. Thank you.**

**Disclaimer: *Sigh* This is getting old fast, but anyway...I do not own the Slayers, except for maybe the Ragna territory/kingdom, which is an important part of the story later.**

**Chapter 8: Hopefulness is Key!**

A few nights later, a small feast is held. Gourry has been sent to Seyruun's mages, but Zelgadis has healed Lina's wound enough that they didn't take long to finish healing her.

It goes as usual: they eat, Phil toasts them, they go to bed.

"Lina," Zelgadis says as they're heading up.

"Yeah, Zel?" she replies quietly. They are passing Amelia's room, where the princess has already fallen asleep.

"I have a feeling..."

"That I won't like my dreams tonight?"

Suddenly, an eccentric guard leaps into the hallway with a few others, and they all start singing, "I got a feeling...WOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOO! That tonight's gonna be a bad night..."

Lina Fireballs them, "Well, that was random. But anyway, do you think, maybe, you could wake me up? If I _do_ have a nightmare?"

"You mean if you start screaming in your sleep?" Zelgadis asks.

Lina chuckles nervously for a moment before replying, "Yeah."

"What if you discover vital information?"

She almost smiles, but nervousness and fear hold her back, "I'll tell all of you. After all, you're my friends. It's not like you're Xel—"

"Shh! Don't say his name! He can _track_ you!" Zelgadis hisses, glancing around.

Lina smiles this time, but then gasps, "Oh, no...I'm becoming _you!_"

At this, they both laugh. Zelgadis adds, "Anyway, you'll be fine. My room is next to yours. I'll be there."

Lina nods nervously and heads into her room. When there, she closes the door and looks at herself in the mirror.

She looks like a totally different person, not the perky, annoying, loud-mouthed sorceress that everyone recognizes as Lina Inverse. People would laugh if she claimed that she's Lina.

Now she knows how Zel felt, for the most part. Except he knew who transformed him into a chimera, and it was Rezo, his great-grandfather. It was someone that he loved.

Lina puts her troubling thoughts aside as she gets ready for bed. Deciding to remain _mostly_ in her current outfit, she takes off her combat boots and sets them aside. Lina removes her golden orb earrings and cloak, yawning. Though it's a bit hard to brush hair made of steel wire, she uses her new hairbrush and takes a few minutes to brush her hair and listen to the silence.

When Lina is finished, she yells, "Goodnight, Zel! Don't forget!"

"I won't," comes his reply.

Lina settles into her bed, once again wishing she was human, and falls asleep.

(A quick author's note: This next part was supposed to be Chapter 9, but I decided that I should combine these two chapters, so here you go!)

Lina opens her eyes, knowing she's dreaming, as the area she sees is not her bedroom. Waves of panic envelope her. She looks at her hands.

Soft, pale, _human_ flesh. Not stone or scales.

The woman is there, chanting a spell. Long, white hair...Golden eyes...Eerie resemblance to Xellos...

Of course! It's Xellos' master, Greater Beast Master Zelas! But Lina doesn't have time to pinch herself awake as a scorching hot pain rushes through her. Lina watches in horror as her hands change color and texture.

The pain never ebbs; it worsens. Just when Lina is about to reach her limits, she is jolted awake.

"Lina!"

The black magic sorceress bursts into tears. Zelgadis is sitting on a chair next to her bed with an understanding expression, "I told them I'd wake you."

Lina says, "Zel...I'm sorry I've always gotten so grumpy whenever you woke us up...I never imagined...!"

"I know, Lina. I wish you never got the chance to understand it," he whispers softly. "This never should have happened to you. If someone's trying to 'perfect' you in some way, then they're messing with the wrong person. You're already perfect."

Lina smiles, "Thanks, Zel..."

"I mean, I've never been perfect. I never will be. But Lina, you know that saying, 'nobody's perfect?'"

"Yeah."

"You aren't a regular 'nobody.' You're Lina Inverse. You're the one who defeated Rezo, Copy Rezo, Shabranigdo—twice, actually—Zanaffar, Phibrizzo...In fact, I can't even remember all of them. But you cast the Giga Slave twice and summoned the Lord of Nightmares. And hey, look, you're still here to tell the tale! Lina, in no way are you an ordinary person. You're you," Zelgadis says.

Lina smiles again, more confidently. "Thank you, Zelgadis." She pauses for a moment, "Have you noticed that our entire friendship began with a little statue?"

He chuckles, "Yeah. You charged me a ton of money on it and lectured me on not being able to pay for it."

Lina giggles, "And you were like, 'Fine, but in the morning, when you leave this inn, we'll be deadly enemies.' Do you have any idea how nerdy you sounded?"

"I guess I did sound strange, but what did you expect? I worked for a thousand-year-old blind guy who used crystal balls to 'watch' people!"

She cracks up, "How is that possible?!"

The two continue talking about their adventures. "And Rezo was watching you through the crystal ball, _blind_, and he said, 'Zelgadis, get the statue and get rid of the girl, won't you?'" Zelgadis imitates his grandfather perfectly. "So I went with Zolf to the inn. When I got back, Dilgear bugged me about how I was 'gentle but threatening' and how I should have been 'harsh and murderous.' That guy never failed to crack me up."

"Oh, Dilgear. Such a nuisance," Lina mutters.

"Yeah," Zelgadis replies. "Anyway, we should get to sleep. We still have a while till dawn."

"Good idea. But who are you to talk? You run on coffee!"

"Goodnight, Lina," he chuckles, exiting the room.

**A/N: Whew! That was a long chapter! But anyway, I have been doing the alphabet thing, like the first series, so because I combined these two chapters, I am going to skip the letter 'I.' The next chapter will start with a 'J.' Anyway, as always, please read and review!**


	9. Chapter 9: Just FIND HIM!

**A/N: Hello, everyone, and thank you for being patient enough to read this story! I apologize greatly for taking forever to update, but I just got to a computer. I have all of this written up, and I've even started writing the sequel...but anyway, on with the story! Please, I will appreciate it if you, my beloved readers, would review! Just to let me know you're reading, at least. Oh, and while I'm at it, I'd like to thank slayersfan133 for helping me out!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Slayers characters, plot, or settings, except maybe the Ragna territory/kingdom, which is an important part of the story later.**

**Chapter 9: Just FIND HIM!**

Zelgadis wakes up to see Lina prodding him.

"Let's just say I wasn't the only one," she smiles with a giggle.

He rolls his eyes, "Wonderful."

* * *

They go down to the dining hall, where Amelia, Phil, and Gourry are already eating.

Phil sees them. "Good morning, Mister and Miss I-scream-in-my-sleep!" he exclaims cheerfully.

Zelgadis and Lina both blush in embarrassment.

"I didn't get any sleep!" Amelia complains. Her hair hasn't been brushed yet, and she has bags under her eyes.

"Oh, stop complaining! Princesses don't complain about losing sleep!" Lina growls, "Or at least in the really badly written stories they don't."

"Hi, guys," Gourry smiles. He was on the opposite side of the castle last night, and heard nothing.

Phil begins discussing politics with a man in another room.

"Guys," Lina starts, "I figured out who did this."

Amelia and Gourry widen their eyes, and Zelgadis frowns.

"It was Xellos' master, Greater Beast Master Zelas."

"I should have known!" Zelgadis growls suddenly, "Come to think of it, Xellos was the one that brought me here to Seyruun!"

The monster priest decides not to show his face at the moment. He wonders how Zelgadis managed to resist the memory spell that he cast on the chimera.

"Well then," Amelia exclaims. "Let's go find them!"

"Hold on, Amelia," Phil says, much to the young princess's disappointment. "You're visiting Taforashia to help with reconstruction tomorrow, remember?"

"Aww…" she complains. "Well…good luck, I guess." She hugs each of them. "I'll miss you guys. Be back soon, okay?"

"Okay," Lina smiles, ruffling Amelia's hair. "If we aren't back by next week, start worrying!"

Amelia's eyes widen.

"Kidding," Lina says immediately. "We'll definitely be back, but only 'cause you asked."

"Good," the princess beams a smile. She looks Zelgadis in the eye, "If you even _think_ about going off on your own, you'll face the Fist of Justice!"

The group leaves before she starts a speech, Zelgadis sweatdropping.

* * *

The next day, they are busy wandering along an old, abandoned road when they suddenly realize that they have absolutely no idea how to reach Wolf Pack Island. Its location is 'a secret,' as Xellos says...

Xellos!

Lina calls, "Xellos come out! We know you're here!"

The general priest pops up with a little shower of purple sparkles. "Hello, Lina! What do you need?"

For a second the group is taken aback. Xellos _never_ offers help. He didn't even do so when they fought the ghost of Shabranigdo. They had _asked_ him for help, and he had said yes. They all stare at him for a while.

"We need to have a very serious conversation with your master, Zelas." Zelgadis is the first one to recover from the shock of Xellos offering something for once.

"Okay, then."

Lina frowns. "Wait just a second. Xellos, what happened?"

He frowns back, "What do you mean, Lina?"

"You're too…offering. What's up?"

Xellos' plastered smile returns to his face. "Oh, I think you know. After all, you're not completely human right now."

Lina glares daggers at him. "Xellos, tell us what's up before I _blow_ you up!"

"Still as temperamental as ever, I see!" He exclaims, "So I'll tell you!"

They wait impatiently.

"That's a secret! Now come on. My master can't wait to see you!" Xellos vanishes with them before Lina (or Zelgadis) can punch him in the face.


	10. Chapter 10: K, K, K, K, K

**A/N: Hi again! As usual, thanks to all who are reading, and even more thanks to those who are reviewing! I, once again, apologize for all of the long delays in updating the story. Read and review to tell me what you think, everyone!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Slayers characters, plot, or settings, aside from maybe the Ragna territory/kingdom, which is an important part of the story later.**

* * *

**Chapter 10: K, K, K, K…Sorry, I just like typing K.**

"Wait right there." Xellos teleports inside of the huge doors before them, leaving them with little to no chance to object.

"So, why are we here again?" Gourry asks, tilting his head sideways with a very innocent and confused look, like a lost puppy.

"Ugh, Jellyfish Brain!" Lina growls, "We're interrogating Zelas!"

"How many times do I have to tell you," Zelgadis sighs, "that this is _not_ a mystery genre?"

Xellos appears again. "Greater Beast Master Zelas would be delighted to speak to you."

Lina and Zelgadis push open the doors, muttering quietly to themselves.

"Welcome, Slayers," a melodious voice purrs. "I have been waiting to see you!"

Lina frowns slightly, recognizing the voice and not liking it at all.

Zelas is, obviously, very busy looking elegant, sitting on a tall throne. "Lina Inverse, I have waited a long time for this moment. I believe you came here in complaint."

Lina says, "Lord Beast Master, I have a few questions."

Zelgadis huffs, "For the LAST TIME, this is NOT a mystery genre!"

Zelas closes her eyes and smiles in an expression scarily similar to Xellos', "Why, yes, Mister Zelgadis Greywords! I believe that this story's genres are romance and adventure!"

"SOMEONE gets it right," he sighs.

"Anyway, Lina, what are your questions?"

Zelgadis sweatdrops.

"First off," Lina starts, "why did you change me into a chimera?"

"That's a secret."

"Why did you bring Zel to Seyruun?" she continues.

"Oh, that's easy!" Zelas smiles, "It's a secret, too!"

Lina frowns, "And are you trying to prove something?"

"You're hitting question number 1 right in the face, Lina!"

Zelgadis cuts in, "You changed Lina into a chimera to prove something?"

"Yep!"

"To who?" Lina asks.

Zelas pokes them comically. "Now your beating up question number 2. You and Zel, of course!"

"Why?!" Zelgadis demands.

Gourry cuts in, "I think I know—"

"Shut up, Gourry, we're thinking," Lina growls.

Zelas continues prodding them with a very evil, very catlike look on her face. Maybe this is why cats rule over all. They are cute and adorable on the outside, but very, very evil on the inside. I LOVE CATS ANYWAY, DON'T JUDGE ME!

Suddenly Zelgadis' jaw drops. "I know why."

Lina blinks, "Me, too."

They stare at each other. "She's trying to set us up!" they both exclaim.

Lina pauses, looking worried. "B-but…she knows how to cure me, right?"

"Of course I do! I _made_ you!" Zelas purrs, "Sadly, only Shabranigdo can cure poor Zel. That's why he hasn't found anything yet!"

The blue chimera's head drops. "My chances have lowered from 2% to a billionth of a percent," he sobs quietly.

"Oh, don't worry, Zel! I have ol' Ruby Eyes on speed dial!" Zelas smiles comically, "I could call him now…"

"NO!" they all scream.

"Well, okay, but don't you at least want to—"

"NO!" they yell again.

"Fine," Zelas mutters. "But anyway, Lina, on with business. In order to change you human again, I need some supplies…but I want _you_ to get them."

"Well, that couldn't be hard!" Lina exclaims cheerfully.

"I want you to go with Zel, too!"

The black magic sorceress' cheerful mood changes to a very angry one as she frowns, "You are one determined mazoku."

Zelas grins, "Well, I wouldn't be me if I quit all the time! Here's your list." She hands Lina a slip of paper and adds, "Leave now."

"Yes, Lord Beast Master," they all mutter.

"And Lina?"

"Yeah?"

"Your current party…fix it," the monster lord growls.

Lina nods silently, and Xellos teleports the group away.

Zelas glances into the shadows, "You can come out now."

A tall man with black hair and dark blue eyes, wearing a black trench coat over a purple shirt as well as classy gloves, steps out of the shadows. A cat is sitting on his head.

"That went well," he says, grinning like a certain cat from a certain movie we all know of. "Now, if you'll excuse me…"

He dissolves into the shadows.

* * *

**A/N: Just in case you haven't guessed, the cat is from Alice in Wonderland...yeah. This mysterious figure will be poor, poor Lina and Zel's enemy, by the way. Sorry, Zelgadis! ...Oh, and Lina too. Be prepared for really bad puns! As a reminder to you guys, please read and review, and maybe I won't feel like a fanfiction failure. Thanks!**


	11. Chapter 11: Lina and Zel Exit the Castle

**A/N: Hello to all who are actually still reading this! I would really like it if you would all review; it would make me very happy. Please, even just to let me know you're reading it! I know this fanfic may seem hard to follow, but trust me, it's still getting there.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Slayers characters, plot, or settings, except maybe the Ragna territory, which is an important part of the story later.**

* * *

**Chapter 11: Lina and Zel Leave the Castle!**

Before Lina, Gourry, and Zelgadis know it, they're back in Seyruun.

"You three got lucky," Xellos says with his usual plastered grin. "Most who have audiences with my mom—I mean, master, lose limbs." He then vanishes with an embarrassed look on his face.

Just as the group starts to walk into the city, shaking their heads and muttering, "Oh, Xellos..." a plume of smoke blocks their path.

A man appears there. "Pardon my intrusion, fellow adventurers, but I must introduce myself. I am Vraak the Panic, Beastly Baron of Bedlam. Here's a gift to remember me by. I hope you like Swiss cheese…"

He flicks a finger, smirks, and says, "Vraak Wilder."

Zelgadis quickly clasps his hands together to form a wind barrier. Lina reinforces it as beams of black and blue shadows crash into it.

Without seeming to care that they're using shields, Vraak disappears the same way he came.

Both chimeras look extremely strained after the attack. They manage to deflect most of it, but some of the beams still graze them. At least they protect Mister Yogurt Brain!

Lina has paled to a dull peppermint color, very much unlike the crimson color she normally is nowadays.

Zelgadis, with a slight wince, uses Recovery on Lina. For a split second, he falters, but continues again.

Gourry frowns, "You shouldn't have—"

"It could've hurt all of us, Gourry. What good would that do?" Lina asks. They start to head towards the castle, where Phil greets them.

"Amelia is still in Taforashia," he informs them before pausing. "What happened?"

The three exchange glances, _Should we tell him?_

They shake their heads. "Nothing, Phil, continue."

The king frowns, noticing that Lina's teeth are chattering. "But—"

"Well?" Zelgadis growls roughly.

"Um...what news?" Phil finally asks.

"Lord Beast Master said that she knows how to cure me, but she needs supplies that she wants us to get," Lina replies, crossing her arms and shivering.

Phil nods, and Gourry says, "Yeah." He gives Lina a quick hug, pats Zelgadis' shoulder, and adds, "Watch out for her, Zelgadis, okay?" seeming to sense that Zelas meant he can't come along.

The blue chimera nods, and both he and Lina leave the room to pack.

* * *

"This day just keeps getting more and more exciting!" Zelas chuckles darkly with an evil grin on her face.

"So...what's the plan?" Vraak asks.

"That's a secret!" Xellos chirps, only to receive a smack across the face.

Vraak mutters, "Keep it up and we'll stop at Switzerland for some Swiss cheese."

This silences our favorite purple-haired monster.

* * *

"Okay, let's see here..." Lina frowns at the list. "Dragon scale...troll tear...demon ear..." She glances at Zelgadis.

"First off, I will not lend you an ear. Second, what kind of supplies are those?"

She answers, "A monster's kind of supplies," as if it's obvious. Well, maybe it is.

"Oh, and I'm pretty sure we've got a dragon scale, if you're willing..." he adds.

Lina pouts, pulls a scale from her side, and puts it in her cloak. "That hurt more than I let on," she grumbles.

"Now, where exactly are we going to find a troll tear?" Zelgadis wonders aloud.

A very strange person passing by, who happens to overhear, says, "There's a reenactment club that a few trolls go to. They sometimes have sad tales." He points it out to the chimeras, not really noticing the scales or stones, and then grumbles, "Sometimes they have _sad_ tales."

Lina says, "Thanks," and they walk towards the club.

* * *

"...I will slay you, beast!" some lunatic exclaims from the stage.

"Roar. Aah." The actor playing Shabranigdo doesn't really look enthusiastic.

"Yah! Die, fiend!" The first speaker uses special effects to make it look like he shoots magic at Shabranigdo.

"Noooooo. I'm sooo dead," Shabranigdo yawns, falling over. "I shall bestow upon you the honor of defeating me. Bye, bye, birdy...oh, wait, you're a dragon."

The lead actor criticizes Shabranigdo for bad acting and leaps off the stage, landing neatly next to Lina and Zelgadis. He looks almost noble, but that's probably because he's dressed as a dragon god.

"Hello. Our performance is not until dusk. What need do you have here?" he asks.

Lina mutters, "Sheesh, you even talk like Ceipheed."

Zelgadis replies, "We need to collect a troll tear."

"Oh." The actor blinks, "Well, one of the bozos backstage might have one."

"'One of the bozos backstage'?" Zelgadis repeats. "Just how many bozos are back there?"

"Seven," the kid replies. "Do you have a suggestion for a performance? We are quick learners!" Hope gleams in his eyes.

Zelgadis gets a mischievous glint in his one visible eye, "Quite a few, actually. Do you have paper?"

"We live for it."

Lina giggles slightly and heads backstage.

"Have you heard of Lina Inverse?" Zelgadis asks.

* * *

Lina peeks behind the curtain to see _six_ bozos, not seven. She says, "Excuse me, do any of you have a troll tear?" in her most adorable voice.

They all look up. One of them says, "Well, lemme see here..." He rummages in a bag behind him. He looks back at her and says, "Sorry, miss. I don't got any troll tears." He talks in a country accent.

Lina looks at the others, who also say they don't have any. The first speaker says, "I ain't never seen you around here before, miss. Where'd ya come from?"

"Um...somewhere far from here," she replies, inching away from the guy. She's seen this trick before, and it definitely wasn't a funny one.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Hey, can I have a small container just large enough to hold a troll tear?" she asks adorably.

All of them rummage around. One guy with an eye patch hands her a small glass jar, "There you go. Thanks for stopping by."

"No need to thank me," she says. After she's out of view, she rolls her eyes.

* * *

When the kids are ready, Zelgadis returns to the seats and finds Lina standing in the front row.

"No luck," she says. "I'll have to get one myself."

"Okay," he replies. "Find one and then watch this. You might like it."

When the audience members fill the seats, he stands at the bottom of the stage, face covered, and announces, "Welcome to the reenactment club. Thanks for coming, and all that. This was a scene that I, myself, was there for, and things happened almost exactly like this, but, believe it or not, I actually am friends with Lina Inverse. She's not that bad, you know."

Lina frowns, "'Not that bad'? You're begging to die, Zel!"

The crowd laughs and claps as Zelgadis returns to his seat and the curtains open.

The actress playing Lina narrates, "Well, I was talking with Gourry in my room at the inn when there was a knock at my door."

"I wish to make a purchase. An item that you possess. I'll pay any price you name," the actor playing Zelgadis says.

The crowd winces.

Lina says, "This sounds fishy to me."

"I'm sure I must seem very suspicious, but for now I have no intention of harming you. I merely wish to perform a business transaction." The kid who had played Shabranigdo now plays the part perfectly.

"Oh, that's reassuring. How do we know your 'intentions' for now won't change if we decide to let you in?"

"I suppose saying 'don't worry' will be useless. However, I believe you have a formidable bodyguard with you."

The actor playing Gourry asks, "Who's he talking about?" He tilts his head and looks very confused.

Lina mutters, "Shut up; he means you. Okay, but I'm warning you; any funny business, I'll throw a spell on you you'll never forget!"

"I understand perfectly," Zelgadis says.

"Alright."

"Lina!" Gourry exclaims, "You're gonna let him in?"

"Yeah, mister 'formidable bodyguard'." Lina walks over to the window in the room and adds, "Okay, Gourry, you can open the door!"

He does as told to reveal the actor playing Zelgadis. I don't have to describe him; if you know about The Slayers then you know what he looks like.

"Well, I can see I had nothing to worry about," Lina says. She then narrates, "We discussed what he was looking for. He wouldn't tell us what it was he was after. He only told us that it was from my raid on the Dragon Fangs, so I took out the old coins, the cursed knife, and the orihalcon statue. He said it was fine to leave the coins out."

Zelgadis points to the knife and mutters, "How much do you want for that?"

Lina exclaims happily, "12,000,000 gold pieces!"

Gourry and Zelgadis freak out. "What the—!"

The actor playing Zel says, "Okay...how much for the statue?" He quietly grumbles, "Ugh, if she charged that much for the cursed knife, then I can't even imagine what she'll charge for the—"

"30,000,000! A bargain!" she smirks.

"What?!" he cries. "For that much you could buy a castle from a prince...on prime real estate! Fully furnished! With the servants included!"

"Hey, you said you'd pay any price I'd name, so don't go making promises you can't keep. If you want it that badly, I might consider lowering the price to 6,000,000."

He finally calms down, "O-okay...I know! How about you work with me? I could later pay you two, maybe even three, times as much as your asking price."

Gourry exclaims, "90,000,000 gold coins?!"

Lina chuckles lightly, "Nah. You see..." She steps up so that she's right in front of his face. "You're the kind of guy...that I'd rather die than work with."

He looks quite offended, but then shakes his head, "Very well. When you step out of this inn tomorrow morning, we will be deadly enemies." He walks out the door, then pauses. "And Lina...my name is Zelgadis. Remember that name."

"I'll make a note of it," she replies with a slight snarl. Then she narrates, "I sent Gourry to his own room and went to bed, but I knew that this Zelgadis was not one to be messed with, and I knew that I should be very careful around him. A hood isn't exactly reassuring."

The curtains close, and the crowd cheers, some muttering, "That was the best I've ever seen from them! How did they get so good?!"

The real Lina sits next to the real Zelgadis and mutters, "I got it. Some crazy troll cried while laughing."

They both stand up, and, when the audience sees them, they cheer louder. Soon, both chimeras push through the crowd and exit the building, walking out of the city and searching for their last item to collect, which will most likely cause more trouble than the last two.

* * *

**A/N: Mention of the trick that Lina has fallen for was from Slayers: Excellent (I think. It's from one of those seasons with Naga). In the episode, there was a guy that asked Lina where she was from, and she answered, "Zephilia." Next thing she knew, she could picture everything, and...yeah. Naga came to her rescue with enormous thorn earplugs. She's always seemed to like spiky things...Anyway, pretty please with sugar on top review my fanfiction, to tell me you're reading, at least. Oh, and I didn't add in Zolf because I figured there was no point. I quoted the words from the third episode. Zolf didn't say much except for the same exclamations that Gourry made.**


	12. Chapter 12: Maybe This Wasn't the

**A/N: Hey, everyone! I'm glad to be back at a computer, if only to type up these chapters for you guys! Please R&R, just to tell me if you're reading or anything, really. I'd like to hear your opinions on my fanfiction, whether you like it or hate it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Slayers characters, plot, or settings, except maybe the Ragna territory, which is an important part of the story later. If you have questions on that territory when it comes up, feel free to ask them in either a review or a PM.**

* * *

**Chapter 12: Maybe This Wasn't the Best Idea...**

The next day, Lina and Zelgadis stop at a bandit camp near the road.

"Old habits," Lina smirks as she throws a Fireball at them. She spares only one, grabbing his shirt and saying, "Tell every bandit you know that Lina Inverse is back and better than ever."

He runs like all of Lina's wrath is upon him...which, technically, it is.

Zelgadis smiles. "Yep, you're definitely Lina Inverse, if any doubt was there."

"How could there be doubt?" she replies cheerfully. "No one else is like me!"

* * *

That night, a thunderstorm rumbles as the duo struggles to find a town. Both of their hoods are drawn over their faces as the rain pours down upon them.

"Lina," Zelgadis breathes, "Demons."

Lina is standing close to him, just in case the lightning stops flashing and she can't see anything anymore. Since Zelgadis has heightened vision, they find it easier to travel during the day and at night, only stopping to rest when they absolutely need it.

More lightning flashes, lighting up the army of demons poised to strike the city.

"We need to go," he says insistently.

"No, Zel," Lina replies. "We need the demon ear, remember? And since you won't lend me one..."

"Lina, you can't see, and if we use a lighting spell—!"

"We won't," she cuts in. "You can go around and stealthily confuse them. When no one's looking, you can get an ear, and then get rid of the rest of them.

He hesitates before sighing in defeat. "Fine, but I'm going to make sure you're out of sight."

"Okay."

Zelgadis picks her up, much to her annoyance, and carries her towards a tree that looks suspiciously hollow. He sets her down inside it and orders, "Don't move."

She doesn't like him ordering her around, but Lina nods, hoping he can see her, as he departs.

A few seconds later, fire lights up a section of the army. Then another. And another.

Soon Lina can see the entire army as they look around nervously and struggle to put out the flames that so happen to be burning their comrades. A yell sounds out over the thunderstorm, and suddenly Zelgadis is next to Lina, holding something wrapped in cloth.

"Here. Just a minute longer," he says.

She takes it, and then he's gone again, causing more mass panic.

Suddenly a demon's rough voice cries, "There!"

Zelgadis has been found, it seems.

The fires have been put out, so Lina can't see anything. She sees blue light as he casts a Ra-Tilt, but he's hopelessly outnumbered. Stealth is his weapon, so this is _not_ good.

Lina frowns slightly. "This won't be fun," she mutters. "Oh, well, we all need to take risks. _Darkness beyond twilight, Crimson beyond blood that flows. Buried in the stream of time is where your power grows._" She steps out of the tree as crimson light glows around her. "_I pledge myself to conquer all the foes who stand before the mighty gift bestowed in my unworthy hands. Let all the foes who stand before me be destroyed by the power you and I possess. _Dragon Slave!"

Crimson flames spark from Lina's hands, causing the enormous demon army to fall into panic and disarray. She retreats back to the tree as dawn starts to arrive.

"Zel, please be okay..." Lina murmurs. She doesn't know whether being part dragon affects her Dragon Slave or not. For all she knows, she could slay herself if she's not careful.

When the sun rises enough that she can see, Lina gets up and looks around. One of the first demons she sees is missing an ear. _Well, I wonder what happened to _that _guy, _Lina thinks sarcastically.

She spots Zelgadis sitting against a rock. (Huh. Ironic.) His arms are behind his head and his eyes are closed in a casual relaxing pose, but he mutters, "Quite a blast there, Lina."

"I didn't notice. I can't see as well as you," she replies sarcastically. "Did I hit you?"

"A few minor cuts. I'll be fine."

The slight edge to his voice gives him away. "Zel?"

He sighs, "Okay, you happened to aim in my general direction. I'm still casting a Recovery spell."

Lina crouches down, "Where?"

"My right side. It didn't bleed or anything. Now be quiet."

She nods and murmurs, "Recovery," if only to help.

* * *

**A/N: As usual, everyone, please R&R, and then I'll keep posting chapters. I'm sorry if the updates are a little jarring for you, but I try to post as fast as possible. I have the entire story written down, and the sequel is almost halfway done, but the problem is getting to a computer. Thank you SO much if you are actually still reading this, and if you like it, please feel free to suggest it to someone.**


	13. Chapter 13: Never Underestimate Lina

**A/N: Hey, everyone! Sorry for my terrible updates, but luckily my brother just got a laptop that he'll share with me from time to time! I know this story is all but great, so...But anyway, I do admit that I missed updating about 2 weeks ago because I was working on my crossover, "The Legend of Lina." On to this fanfic. Please R&R, even if this is rough I would love to hear any commentary on how I'm doing, or whether you like it or not.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Slayers characters, plot, or settings. I'm just a fan writing some fiction. I do own the Ragna territory, though, which is a mildly important setting later on.**

**Chapter 13: Never Underestimate Lina Inverse!**

"Lina, we can get going. It was never anything serious," Zelgadis insists.

"Fine, Zel, but I don't wanna hear any complaints later," the red-headed sorceress chides.

He smiles a little, and they both start walking towards the city they (or rather Zelgadis) had spotted last night.

* * *

"Why is it so _hot_?" Lina complains. "I mean, seriously! I'm part fire dragon _and _rock golem! Shouldn't I be practically invulnerable to the heat?"

Zelgadis nods. "It is hot out. I don't understand why, but..." He stops short as rumbles shake the ground.

All of a sudden, the earth below them starts caving in, falling downwards so far that even more heat rises in billowing clouds. The two chimeras use Ray Wing to hover above and to the side of the chasm as even more of the barren land below them falls downwards to who knows where. Magma begins spurting out of the chasm in rapid succession, and Zelgadis frowns with a glance towards the small city that is only a few miles downhill.

...Downhill.

"Lina, if we don't help them, the people in that town will be fried to a crisp. I'm sure not even you would want to eat that," the blue chimera mutters.

Lina frowns. "Yeah, we'd better go help them."

As the duo flies towards the city as fast as they can, the lava close behind, she yells, "I think a wind barrier should work."

Zelgadis replies, "Yes, that should work well." He grows silent for a while before adding, "Those walls look to be made of some type of metal, but not even metal can hold up very long against lava." He looks at Lina. "We should also use Aqua Create to cool it down, otherwise we'll be protecting melted corpses."

The two chimeras put their plans into action, Zelgadis holding a windy shield while Lina casts Aqua Create on the shield, causing it to blast high-pressured water towards the melted rock that is busying itself trying to get through Zelgadis' shield.

He glances back at the city and is a bit shocked to see that all of the townspeople are gathered in the square, staring expectantly at them. "Lina," he says, "Can you hold up this shield while I go see how the people are doing?"

The fiery sorceress is shocked at his words. Has Zelgadis' heart softened in the time that she has been a chimera? But she shakes the thought off, casting a shield just behind Zelgadis', so when he drops it, the lava only moves an inch.

Lina can't hold this for long. The Aqua Create spell already sapped quite a bit of her energy, and it's still hot out, so she can only hold the shield up for a few more minutes. Luckily, that's all Zelgadis needs, for he is back in a few minutes.

"Zelgadis...I can't..." Lina groans and barely hovers inside the city walls and to the ground before her eyesight grows hazy and she loses consciousness.

* * *

Zelgadis uses Ray Wing to hover quickly over to the people in the town. "Are you all okay?" he asks them. A few of them nod, including some children. He looks down at them with a caring expression. "Good. It should only be a few minutes until this lava has either hardened or gone downhill. Don't worry, you'll all be fine."

One of the kids says, "Thank you, Mister!" which is followed by a chorus of "thank you" and "be safe".

Zelgadis smiles slightly. He's always had a soft spot for children, which is why he took so well to Amelia. He nods and hurries back over to where Lina is busy looking very stressed and exerted. Maybe this wasn't his best choice, but hey, at least the kids are okay!

Lina glances at him and sighs, dropping her own shield and floating into the city when he takes up the job.

* * *

After a couple minutes of blasting Aqua Create through a shield, the lava has finally hardened, and so Zelgadis hovers cautiously into the city's walls. He smiles slightly, shakes his head, and picks up Lina to carry her towards the city square.

The townspeople look a bit nervous, and when he approaches, they back a few steps away. That's when the blue chimera realizes that his hood must have fallen off while he was fending off the very hungry lava.

"Really?" He curses. "What is wrong with you people? Five minutes ago I was over here checking whether anyone was hurt, and you were fine then. And both of us kind of just saved your lives, as well as your city, so you kind of owe us."

They simply exchange worried glances. "Er..."

Zelgadis shakes his head, "And you're talking to a friend of Lina Inverse."


	14. Chapter 14: Oh, Hey! It's Not GROSS!

**A/N: Here's yet another chapter! Please R&R, and maybe I won't feel like a FAIL. *hangs head***

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Slayers, just Silvia and Vraak.**

**Chapter 14: Oh, Hey! It's Not GROSS!**

The townspeople back away even more. "Y-you mean...that girl is...?"

Zelgadis nods. "This woman here is Lina Inverse. And it's not exactly a good idea to provoke her, so listen. All we ask is that you let us stay in an inn or something for just one night. One night, and we'll leave you be. Besides, you owe this at least. There was an army of demons southwest of here, uphill about seven miles. And then there was that lava, which I'm sure none of you have an explanation for."

"Actually," a bold, feminine voice calls out, "I may have an explanation for that."

The crowd parts to reveal a young woman who looks to be about 24. She has short, navy blue hair and brown eyes, as well as long, pointed ears. Zelgadis is a bit awestruck. This is the first time he has ever seen an elf in person. He has studied many books about them and their vile kin, the drow, ever since he heard of them, in his teenage years.

Obviously, this woman can't possibly be 24, since the elves and drow age about a quarter of the speed as humans do. She's probably around a hundred or so years, judging from the wisdom in her eyes as well as the way she speaks.

Zelgadis shakes himself out of his awe to speak to her, gently laying Lina down against a building. "Well then, explain."

The elf doesn't say anything for a few minutes. She looks him up and down. "Why must I offer an explanation to someone who is part demon? Give me for an explanation for that, other than the classic, 'I saved your life.'"

"Well, there's the fact that, obviously, my human side is in control, and has been for years. And if you give me an explanation for why the ground cracked for no reason and blasted lava directly at this town, we could possibly find a way to prevent any more of this," he says.

The elf replies, "Very well, chimera. I will explain, but not in front of everyone here. You and your friend may stay at my home for the night. We will talk after supper." She gestures towards a small stone house covered in vines, which greatly stands out from all of the other ones.

Zelgadis nods and lifts Lina once again. She shifts in his arms, but still doesn't wake up. He follows the elf towards the house.

She unlocks the door with a series of chants, which probably disengages about twenty different wards. Zelgadis enters the house to see a room with plush carpet and elegant decor, all with some shade of green. He expects nothing less from an elf, though, so the room doesn't greatly shock him.

The elf nods towards a sofa, "You may lay your companion down there. My explanation can wait until she has woken up, no?"

"It's fine," Zelgadis says. "She would kill me if she missed something as important as this."

"Ah. My name is Silvia. What are your names?"

He replies, "My name is Zelgadis, and this is Lina."

Silvia nods slowly. "Well, Zelgadis, you are welcome to either of the guest rooms, but I imagine Lina would like to pick first. Am I correct?"

He nods. "So, it's obvious that you're an elf. What brought you here, so far from your forests?"

She sighs, "I knew you would ask, considering your demonstration of how clever you are. Well, I left the forests because the mortal sorcerers have found a way in through extra-dimensional spaces and wind magic. Surely you also know that we have placed powerful magical spells on the forests so as to prevent this from happening. The mortals have been invading our forests, cutting down the trees and hunting the animals. We strove to prevent any more humans from getting in, but they just kept finding new holes in our barriers. We finally declared war with them, insisting that they either leave or die. But we soon found that they were strong, too strong. Few of us survived the war, and even fewer of us decided to flee the forests. I am one of the few elves from those forests remaining."

Silvia shows no emotion at all, much like the man she is talking to. Neither of them say another word until Lina wakes up a few hours later.

"So, Zel, who's the elf?" the fiery sorceress asks from directly behind his ear.

Zelgadis doesn't look surprised at all, which disappoints her. "Her name is Silvia. She's letting us stay for the night, and also providing an explanation of why that magma came out of nowhere."

"Okay, explain away," Lina says casually.

Silvia nods, her impish features tensing as she begins another long story.

"After I left the elven territory about twelve years ago, I went to Seyruun, the white magic capital. I taught a few classes there, where I became known as a famous priestess. The honor was bestowed upon me by Prince Phillionel and his wife, Bianca. Oh, they had the most adorable children, but one of them had this really annoying laugh..."

Lina clears her throat, "Yes, we know them, carry on."

Silvia glares at Lina. "As I was saying, I was well known there, and the children looked up to me, but that's when Bianca, Phillionel and I were attacked by assassins. The prince and I made it out okay, but Bianca was killed. Her poor children were devastated, and I was sure that, being an elf, I had caused this. I ran away, but I soon discovered that I was being followed by the oldest child, Gracia. I told her that she couldn't stay with me, but she insisted that she would stay until I taught her magic. She and her little sister, Amelia, were two of the few children I hadn't taught, because Phillionel had insisted they didn't need to know magic, being royalty, having bodyguards and such."

Zelgadis smiles at the irony of it. Amelia has a bodyguard, yet she knows magic. Then again, her bodyguard often travels the globe in search of a cure...

"So I eventually agreed to take her in. After all, we were too far from Seyruun to head back then, and I didn't want to be peer pressured to stay. I taught her some healing spells, as well as ice spells. The entire time, I knew that we were being followed. So one day, when I knew Gracia was ready, I turned around on the path and said, 'I know you're there, so come out already.' But no one came. I was shocked, because the entire time I was traveling away from Seyruun I was sure that I heard someone traveling behind us. Gracia stared at me like I was crazy. I thought I was. Her mother was my best friend. My best _mortal _friend, anyway. Losing Bianca hurt me so terribly that I almost went mad for a while." Silvia pauses. "Ever since, I kept hearing things. Or at least, I thought I was hearing things. After I sent Gracia on her way, the sounds were louder. I haven't traveled by night ever since, but every town I've been to has been either damaged or destroyed. So now I always travel. I'm in constant movement. I'm surprised that whoever has been following me actually found me here. I suppose that all the magical energy here attracted their attention. I've learned to disguise mine, but I guess you two haven't even bothered to try."

"Nope," Lina says cheerfully. "I'm Lina Inverse! No one has ever defeated me in a magic battle. (Except maybe Zelgadis during 'that time of the month'...) You're obviously dealing with a sorcerer here, and a powerful one at that."

Zelgadis agrees, "The person we're dealing with must be an earth and fire mage. I would assume that they're probably second class, first class being Lina and I. Whoever this is will be a lot of trouble."

"I KNEW YOU WERE TROUBLE WHEN YOU WALKED IN, SO SHAME ON ME NOW. FLEW ME TO PLACES I'D NEVER BEEN..."

A flash mob is singing and dancing outside.

"This happens too often for my liking," Zelgadis says as he casts a Fireball at them.

Silvia stares blankly. "Wait, this has happened to you before?"

"Yeah," Lina replies. "Twice. One of them was a ton of guards outside my bedroom door in Seyruun. The other was us."

"Um, okay."

Zelgadis sighs, "Anyway, Silvia, back to _your _problem. We don't have enough time to help you get rid of whoever is trying to kill you, but we can probably pinpoint where they are."

"Yep, it's easy. He's up in that cave at the summit. Looks like this is his permanent hideout, so you should be good if you take him on. If I decided to cast a Dragon Slave, it would take down the whole mountain, which would also destroy this town," Lina adds.

Zelgadis continues, "The only problem is he'll probably assume that we're you. We'll probably need you to reveal your power. Besides, it's best, because you need to take him on now, before he takes any more lives. When we leave, he'll be confused and attack right away, but not if you're already fighting him at the summit."

Silvia frowns, "So you're saying that I should go fight him while you two are leaving?"

"It would save many lives, Silvia," Lina replies. "And it would get rid of your assassin."

"Okay then. We'll put this plan into action tomorrow. Let's rest now."

* * *

The next morning, Zelgadis and Lina depart from the town. Silvia has already gone to the summit.

Farther down the road, after precious moments of silence, Xellos appears.

Zelgadis growls, "Wonderful. What do you want _now, _Xellos?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm here with a message from my master. She lost her pet cat, and she wants you to get it," the mazoku smirks.

"How will we find it? Cats are all over the place!" Lina yells.

Xellos shakes a finger, "Now, now, Lina, there's no need to yell. You'll know it when you see it." And with that, he's gone.

"Well, at least it's not as disgusting as an ear," Zelgadis points out.

"Yeah, good as it gets, I guess."

* * *

"And what a convienient pause!" Zelas grins. "This is so much fun!"

"Thanks for getting them to find my cat," Vraak says. "Guess it got out of the bag."

Zelas pretends to be amused. "Hey, do you...maybe...want to make some mischief? You know, mess with Gourry or something..."

"Hm? What? Did you say Switzerland?"

She mentally sighs. "Never mind."


	15. Chapter 15: PIKACHU!

**A/N: Hiya, everyone that actually bothers reading this! R&R, pretty please!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Slayers characters, plots, or settings, but I do own the Ragna territory. When the territory comes up or before, you can feel free to ask a few questions about it in a review or PM. (Preferably a review.)**

**Chapter 15: PIKACHU!**

"Come on, Zel, hurry up!" Lina teases as she skips circles around the blue chimera.

"Respect your elders, Lina," he replies in amusement. "Why don't _you_ slow down?"

"No way! I'm really close to _finally_ becoming human again! I will not slow down at all!" Lina's stomach growls. "Okay, maybe I'll slow down to eat, but that's it."

They had quickly found the cat Xellos mentioned in Seyruun. It really seems to like Zelgadis, which is exactly why it's sitting on his head. He doesn't seem to mind until it starts kneading his hair and cloak.

"What the heck is this thing doing?" he asks Lina after they have almost made it to the city gates.

She giggles, "Zel, that just means it really likes you! Either that or it decided to sharpen its claws on your hair."

"I think I'd prefer the latter," he grumbles.

Before Lina can tease some more, Xellos appears, annoying smile and all.

"Ugh. Not again!" Zelgadis cries desperately. "Why does Ceipheed HATE ME?!"

"Xellos, no one likes you. Go away!" Lina yells.

"Aww, Lina, I thought you were different from the others," Xellos frowns, even with his eyes still smiling.

She smacks him in the face. "You're annoying! Go away! Nobody in their right mind would want to see you more than once a week!"

"Really? Then Filia must be out of her mind," he replies. "Anyway, I came here to get the item and to tell you that mymasterwantsyoutogooutonadate." He says the last part hurriedly and backs away from the two chimeras.

It takes a moment to register what the mazoku just said. When they do...

"WHAT THE HECK DO YOU MEAN, GO ON A DATE?!" Lina and Zelgadis yell in the monster priest's face. "THERE IS NO POSSIBLE WAY THAT ZELAS WILL ACTUALLY MANAGE TO STICK US TOGETHER, YOU HEAR ME?!" After they share those thoughts, they both throw very deadly spells at Xellos.

"CHAOTIC DISINTEGRATE! I JUST FIGURED OUT HOW TO USE THAT SPELL! DRAGONS ROCK!"

"RA-TILT! SHUT UP, LINA! WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF BLOWING UP XELLOS!"

Xellos regenerates from his pile of purple ashes. "So, er...will you? Otherwise Lord Beast Master will kill me and not change Lina back."

Lina and Zelgadis exchange glances. She sighs, "Fine, but remember that we're being forced into this. And just for good measure...PIKACHU, USE THUNDERBOLT!"

Lina's Pikachu zaps Xellos to the Astral Plane, where he disappears in a pretty little shower of purple sparkles.

"Why purple? And sparkles?" Zelgadis wonders.

"Because Xellos is a sad, sad excuse for a monster," Lina replies, shaking her head, "who likes bunnies, kittens, and all things sweet."

He shrugs, "True. So Lina, where are we gonna go?"

"I don't know. Does that place look good to you?"

"Yeah, sure. Let's go."

* * *

Soon both of them are sitting in a rather fancy establishment (which, in reality, is extremely cheap), where Lina calls the waitress over and orders a small meal (for once. I think it's the end of the world), along with a cup of tea. Zelgadis only gets coffee. The two sit in silence for a few moments.

"Hey, Zel, which do you prefer? Chicken or beef?" Lina asks cheerfully.

"Beef. Are we seriously going to talk about food here?" he replies.

"Well, we don't really have anything much to talk about, do we?"

Zelgadis raises a stony eyebrow. "Well..."

Lina blinks and yells, "Wait, forget I said anything!"

"I've always wondered why you're so scared of slugs...and your sister."

"Um...well...can the sister story wait?"

"You have to at least tell me one of them," he insists.

"Fine," Lina grumbles. "It's not really a long story, though. Once, my family went camping outside of the city, and after we woke up in the morning, I found out the hard way that there were slugs in my sleeping bag. Of course I freaked out, but no one really cared, so...yeah, that's basically it."

Zelgadis frowns. "That's it? Really? I expected it to end with a Fireball."

"If it ended with a Fireball, I would've fried myself."

"Good point."

The two continue to talk until after sunset, which is exactly when they remember that Zelas Metallium was the one who set this up.

"The second she changes me back into a human," Lina threatens the air, "is the second Zelas will no longer exist."

Zelgadis rolls his eyes.

* * *

**A/N: Yes, I know that it's a short chapter, but that was how I wrote it. Please R&R before I start to cry. One more thing...**

**ZELGADIS, I LOVE MESSING WITH YOU! YOU ARE A VERY FUN CHARACTER TO WRITE, AND YOU ARE ALSO VERY, VERY, VERY CUTE! I MIGHT REWARD YOU AT THE END OF THE SEQUEL!**


	16. Chapter 16: Quietudewe think

**Chapter 16: Quiet...we think.**

While Zelgadis and Lina are gone, Amelia, Gourry, Filia, Val, Sylphiel, and Phil are having a too-quiet dinner. It's just not the same without Lina yelling/talking for forever and Zelgadis trying to get her to shut up.

Amelia is the first to speak up, breaking the dead silence. "I wonder where Miss Lina and Mister Zelgadis are. They should be back by now."

Phil pats her back, an action that would probably paralyze a regular person, but then again, Amelia and her father are unusually tough. "Don't worry, Amelia! I'm sure they're fine; they are Lina Inverse and Zelgadis Greywords, after all. Justice will prevail!"

The others nod, smiles full of hope gracing their figures. Finally Filia speaks up. "Guys, I think they've been here the whole time. That piece of garbage, Xellos, was here once, but when he left, it wasn't with them."

Their smiles turn into frowns as they consider all the possibilities. Possibility number one: Xellos could have killed them. That one was quickly dismissed, as Xellos wouldn't do such a thing without appearing before all of them and apologizing, and even then, Lina wouldn't have allowed him to just kill them without putting up a fight. And everyone's sure they would notice a fight, as Lina would probably start off with a Dragon Slave, knowing Xellos.

Possibility number two: Zelas could have denied Lina a cure, because after all, Zelas _is _the world-famous Greater Beast Master Zelas, who would resort to deceit and mischief above outright murder or saying "No", which is another thing that cancels out possibility number one.

After a few silent minutes of thought, Amelia sighs and crosses over to the window. "Even if something _did _happen to them, we would never know for sure what happened..." Suddenly, a short gasp of surprise is heard as Amelia's navy blue eyes widen. "Guys, come look!"

Immediately the large castle window is crowded by the entire group, including Val. Sylphiel, on the other hand, never had a chance at looking through said window, as Phil and Gourry are very large men, and they crowded most of the window. All but the raven-haired priestess gasp, as Amelia did.

"What is it?" Sylphiel asks quietly, heard by none except Gourry, who has the graciousness to let her into the small circle of Slayers. Sylphiel adds her own gasp to theirs.

What they all see beyond the window shocks and terrifies them: Lina is walking next to Zelgadis, which would be perfectly normal aside from two facts. One, the group in the castle, ever so pessimistic, had been considering the fact that they were dead. Two, Zelgadis has a not-so-cheerful look on his face, which is normal, but it also has a tint of anger on it. Lina, on the other hand, is being cheerful as ever, prodding him and saying things that Sylphiel can't make out.

Soon the two reach the entrance to the castle and happen to glance at the people squashed against the glass. Lina bursts out laughing and Zelgadis smiles in amusement. Both walk into the dining room.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the Justice-Loving Five. And Filia," Lina smirks, causing the golden dragon to bristle.

"Just what were you doing over there?" Zelgadis asks in fake curiosity. "Were you trying to climb out the window? Or stare at a particularly interesting beetle? Because there _is _a beetle there."

The group glances at the window to, indeed, see a beetle. Sylphiel, Amelia, Filia, Phil, and Gourry all screech. Val just shakes his head and says, "Really, Mommy. You should know better."

Filia then spanks her adoptive son-in-law, scolding him, as Lina and Zelgadis are practically laughing their heads off (Hm. Strange. The most Zelgadis ever does is crack a smile. And maybe an egg while he's at it.).

Suddenly Sylphiel gasps. "Don't you all see?"

The rest of the group, thinking she's talking about the beetle, frown and nod.

"No, not the beetle! I think Mister Xellos set Miss Lina and Mister Zelgadis up for a date!"

They get bug-eyed and start laughing their faces off. Then Lina glares at everyone.

Suddenly the room is as silent as the beach before a hurricane. Only with Lina Inverse around, it's about a million times more dangerous.

Val suddenly said, "Hey, has anyone ever noticed that girly has a flat chest?"

Lina points her glare towards the young ancient dragon. "_What _did you just say...?"

He widens his eyes and stutters, "Um, nothing, M-Miss Lina! I...uh..."

Lucky for the poor, poor toddler, Zelgadis douses the raging flame in water. "Lina, I believe he meant to say that he's stupid and doesn't know what he's saying." This, of course, earns him a glare from both Val and Filia, but he doesn't care, because after all, this _is _Lina Inverse. And this must be a very cautious process; here stands one lone, blue chimera taming the bandit-killer and dragon-spooker of legend.

Lina doesn't exactly look fully-tamed, so he continues to add, "May I mention that you look lovely this evening, Lina? Did you put on makeup?"

The redheaded chimera blushes crimson beyond blood that flows. "You're just trying to keep me from killing the kid, aren't you?"

"Possibly."

"Well, it worked. And by the way, guys, we were forced to go on that date," Lina growls. "If you mention it to ANYONE, and I mean ANYONE, you'll be sorry you were ever born."

The rest of the Slayers group gulps and glances anywhere but the direction Lina and Zelgadis are in.


	17. Chapter 17: Right, then

**A/N: Hey, everyone! It may be late at night, but I'm still kickin'! Especially since I have a field trip tomorrow/today! Anyway, I must mention the fact that I used some Spanish in this chapter, which Zelgadis speaks without thinking. Here are translations:**

**"Qué hice en serio simplemente disculpas en español?" is Spanish for: "Did I seriously just apologize in Spanish?"**

**"Lo siento." is Spanish for: "Sorry."**

**"Si, señorita." is Spanish for: "Yes, Miss." and**

**"Se me acaba de llamar a un gatito?" is Spanish for: "Did she just call me a kitty?"**

**Please R&R.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Slayers, and I don't know Spanish all that well. Don't sue me.**

**Chapter 17: Right, then...**

_Can they find each other? Do they realize what's going on? Do they even know that they have feelings for each other?_

Sylphiel's eyes fly open. "What was that...?" she says to the air. Her mind begins to clear, and she realizes that it was just a bad dream.

_But wait..._Her better judgement says that it wasn't just a bad dream. _It was...something about a curse...and love's embrace..._

Sylphiel shakes off her dream with a slight frown, getting ready to head down to breakfast. Judging by the smell of food, Lina and Gourry are undoubtedly awake. After all, they seem to wake up whenever they smell just a hint of food.

The raven-haired priestess sighs, a cute little blush crossing her face as she thought of..._Gourry dear...I wonder how Miss Lina would react if I told her I love him. Knowing her, she'd probably throw a huge temper tantrum...but then again, Miss Lina loves Mister Zelgadis, doesn't she?_ Sylphiel sighs once again, shaking her head. _After Miss Lina figures everything out. That's when I'll tell Gourry dear that I love him._

The young woman exits her room and crosses the hall to the dining room. Unluckily for her, she was placed in the room directly across from it, which means that she has to listen to all of the yelling coming from said dining room. It's not exactly the best bedtime story, but Sylphiel isn't one to complain, being the main shrine maiden who has to heal all of the worst injuries. And besides, after traveling with Lina for long enough, one gets used to her short temper and huge appetite. All you have to do is be silent until it counts, and even then it is not good for your health if you say something bad about Lina. You might be roasted on a spit and eaten for dinner. Or worse yet, tortured, eaten, and then killed...after you went through Lina's digestive system.

Anyway, Sylphiel crosses into the dining room and is surprised to see that Lina isn't at the table. So surprised that she stood there for a few minutes, mouth agape and shoulders slumped, very unlike the young maiden.

Zelgadis walks into the room after about five minutes, saying, "Sylphiel, close your mouth. You'll catch flies." When that doesn't work, he sighs and places one hand on the top of her head and the other under her mouth, closing it forcibly.

Sadly, though, it just unhinges again, causing Zelgadis to simply give up and walk out the door again.

After another five minutes of staring, giggling, and whispering, Sylphiel composes herself and glances around the room. Amelia, Phil, Filia, Val, and Gourry are all staring at her.

"What?" she asks, not exactly knowing what happened in the last ten minutes. As far as she knows, she's only been in this room for thirty seconds. "What's so funny?"

Everyone glances away, but grins still mask any other emotion.

Sylphiel begins tapping her foot on the ground, her arms crossed over her chest. "Guys...?"

Amelia blurts out, "Miss Sylphiel, you were standing there for a full ten minutes with your mouth wide open, and Mister Zelgadis even came in here and shut your mouth, but you just opened it again!"

Even Sylphiel has to admit that was pretty ridiculous.

"Er, okay," she mutters. "Where are Miss Lina and Mister Zelgadis?"

"They went out hunting for Xellos," Filia replies. "Lucky for them that meddling Mazoku decided to go easy on them and appeared a few minutes ago. He took them off to Zephilia or something."

* * *

Filia's prediction proves true, as Lina and Zelgadis are standing in the middle of a mountain with very impatient, very mad looks.

"Xellos Metallium, get your butt back here!" Lina yells loudly.

Surprisingly, Xellos does exactly that. "Yes, Lina?"

"What are we doing here? When am I ever gonna get cured?"

"Um, well, my master ordered me to bring you here. And before you ask, her reasons are a secret. Second...let's see...maybe a few days?" The purple-haired priest yet again provides as little information as possible. "Farewell, Lina, Zelgadis! See you then!"

And he disappears in more pretty little sparkles.

"Seriously, he has _got _to change that. It gets annoying, but then again, his middle name is Annoying," Lina mutters.

"And that aside," Zelgadis says, rolling his eyes, "Do you know where we are?"

Lina frowns, looking around. "Um, this looks kinda familiar...do you have a map?"

"Don't I always?"

"Yeah, I guess I didn't need to ask. Anyway, hand it over." Zelgadis gives her a map of the areas inside the barrier. "Okay, a mountain, right? There aren't many of those here...our location is either near Ragna, Zephilia, or one of those other foreign names I can't pronounce." Zelgadis opens his mouth as if to pronounce it for her, but Lina says, "No, Zel, I don't need your info. The only place I know of out of those three is Zephilia, which means..." Her eyes widen in horror. "Oh, Ceipheed, no!"

"What is it, Lina? We're in the Zephilian Mountains, it's not like we're near your sis...oh..." Zelgadis frowns and adds, "Well, we could always go back to Seyruun. It's only half a day's trek from here."

Lina gulps and whispers, "No, we're good for now. Luna has a waitress job. She's usually there 24/7, but on holidays and special occasions she comes home. Lucky for you, it's Wednesday. Hopefully Mom won't call Luna over for supper or something. She's kinda unpredictable at times, and Luna...is Luna. That's just scary enough."

The two begin to descend the mountain, slowly at first, then gaining speed as they leap from ledge to ledge. Casting a Ray Wing would be deadly; mist shrouds the entire mountain in a dense haze, making it impossible to see anything.

"So, your parents," Zelgadis starts to say.

Lina starts to blab about something or other, interrupting him. After about a minute of awkward silence, she says, "You were saying, Zel?"

He blushes and stammers, "Um, I was j-just going to mention that your parents...I know nothing about them."

"Oh, well..." Lina blushes in turn, but lucky for her, her skin is already red. "My mother is really sweet; she was always the one to calm Luna down whenever she was in Rage Mode."

"Wait, you mean your mother had _two _psycho death machines for daughters?"

"Yes."

"Well, now I'm worrying for your mother's sanity."

"Everyone does after they meet Luna and I."

Zelgadis sighs. "That I can understand. I think even _I _might have gone a bit crazy, being near you all the time now..."

"What was that, Zel?" Lina asks adorably, her face masking the fact that she (accidentally) tripped her chimera companion. "Hey, where'd you go?"

"Down...here..." he replies quietly. Lina just so happens to be stepping on his face.

She tilts her head with a grin on her face. "Hey, Zel?"

"Yes, Lina...?"

"Never call me crazy ever again."

"_Si, señorita Lina._" Zelgadis nods as much as he can with Lina's boot crushing his face. "_Lo siento._"

Lina nods smugly as she lifts her foot and begins walking again. "Come on, kitty, kitty! We don't have all day!"

"_Qué hice en serio simplemente disculpas en español_? ..._y s__e me acaba de llamar a un gatito_?" Zelgadis asks himself even with a boot mark etched on his stony features. "Aw, dang it! I did it again!"

Lina, meanwhile, has been wondering where Zelgadis learned such a foreign language. Then again, he _is _related to Rezo the Red Priest. It should be easy to fathom that he would know at least twenty other languages. The redhead shrugs absentmindedly and continues walking down the road, her hood up to cover most of her face.

Lina walks down to a small, red-colored house at the end of a small road. She knocks at the door and is met with, "Who is it?"

"Your most adorable daughter!" Lina replies in a sing-song voice.

The door immediately opens. "Lina!" Her mother's gaze hardens as she looks her youngest daughter up and down.

"You haven't changed a bit."

This breaks Lina's image of cheerful. "Um, mother? Might I mention that my skin is made of stone and scales, as well as being _red,_ and the fact that I AM NO LONGER COMPLETELY HUMAN?!"

The ignorant mom looks Lina up and down. "Huh. Didn't notice. I was too busy thinking about how much money Luna might be earning tonight."

Lina starts to steam for about five seconds before she realizes that it might be a good idea to introduce Zelgadis, who is walking calmly towards them.

"Mom...this, here, is Zelgadis. He's one of my friends," she says in a scarily calm voice.

"Oh, hello, dear," Lina's mom says to Zelgadis in an elderly tone. "Would you two like some coffee? It's still early yet, and I don't think your father will get home until..." Suddenly the woman stiffens and starts to sob.

"Mom?" Lina asks, suddenly scared for her. "What's wrong?"

"Y-your father...h-he was...murdered just yesterday by...a man with black hair and blue eyes...with a cat sitting on his head."

The two chimeras exchange glances. "Vraak."


End file.
